The GROW Model

The GROW Model is one of the most established and successful models in the coaching industry for personal and professional growth. The GROW model can help you coach others to improve his or her performance.

The model is simple, but every effective. It provides a great framework for structuring a coaching session.

The GROW is an acronym for:

Goal

Reality

Options

Will / Way Forward

Background

The GROW model was introduced by John Whitmore in his book Coaching for Performance. His model has become widely adopted and has proved successful all over the world. This is mainly because it is a simple and effective process for coaching.

Four Stages

The GROW Model is designed as a tool to elicit and maximize a person’s potential through a series of sequential coaching conversations. The model flows as a sequence of steps to facilitate discussions.

By using well-thought-out questions, you are able to accomplish the following:

Promote a deeper awareness of an issue or behavior

Establish a goal

Allow the individual to assess the situation

Create responsibility for the individual

Establish an understanding of the steps and possible obstacles

Encourage proactive behavior

Create a plan of action

All these steps will result in the creation of an action plan of practical techniques to overcome obstacles and accomplish goals.

The Four Stages Explained

Stage 1 – Goal

In this first stage, you define what the individual wants to achieve and then establish a goal.

You would ask questions regarding what they hope to achieve in the future. From the answers to these questions, you create a written SMART goal. That is, the goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Stage 2 – Reality

In this second stage, you have the individual assess his or her current situation. This helps to determine where they are in respect to their goals. It should be viewed in terms of both action taken so far as well as all the steps they need to take in order to achieve the goal.

Stage 3 – Options

In this third stage, you explore the options for reaching the goal. This stage is about generating new ideas, alternative strategies, and courses of action for reaching the goal.

You should ask questions about potential options for reaching the goal. Ideally, these questions should encourage creative and divergent thinking, and not focus on assumptions about boundaries, as they can limit options.

Stage 4 – Will / Way Forward

In this final stage, you decide on a specific plan of action. The plan should highlight how accountability and achievement of the goal will be ensured. The plan should include what is to be done, when, by whom and the will to do it.

This stage is also about raising responsibility and generating commitment on behalf of the individual. This will help establish his or her will and motivation.